


Spirit of Rebellion

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Makoto Niijima Week, The AFR Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 02:18:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12159597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: Makoto's second awakening causes the Phantom Thieves to discuss the nature of their Personas and outfits.Written for Makoto Niijima Week. Day 7's prompt is "Phantom Thief/Persona"





	Spirit of Rebellion

**Author's Note:**

> It's the penultimate day of Makoto Niijima Week!
> 
> https://makotoniijimaweek.tumblr.com

** Art by [Hureno](http://hurenoshmureno.tumblr.com) **

* * *

 

“Must have been difficult babysitting the uptight Miss President, right?”

Ren and Makoto were seated on the old couch in LeBlanc’s attic, having a heart-to-heart. Although it was really Makoto doing most of the talking. A slight frown appeared on Ren's face at that comment, and he seemed like he was about to refute it.

“Just kidding.” Ren's mood seemed lifted by that statement, which in turn cheered up Makoto. “Even so, I’m glad I asked you. I think now I’ll be able to see the world even more differently.”

“I don’t doubt it” Ren said.

“Actually, I’m sure I can. Because…” The words seemed to hit a dam in Makoto’s throat. She and Ren had been seeing each other a while now, and maybe she wasn’t ready to say the big L word yet. Still, she wanted to at least get the sentiment out there. “I have you.”

And then, Makoto felt a shift within her being. In the past few months, she had changed so much. Before the Phantom Thieves came along, Makoto was a shell of a person. A good little wind-up doll who was pointed in the direction society wanted her to go and began marching. She did everything authority figures told her to without question, suppressing her own feelings and desires. This was no longer the case. Makoto was now an independent young woman, focusing on the things that brought her happiness and driven by her own goals. And now, with a clearer vision for her future than ever, Makoto felt amazing. Like the first time she’d awakened to her Persona, but different. When Makoto first found Johanna, she was tearing down the veil. She saw the world for what it was, and resolved to find a way to change it. Now she was experiencing self-actualization like never before. After years of questioning and doubt, Makoto Niijima finally felt like she knew who she was. But there was still one mystery. Deep down, where Johanna was, she suddenly wasn’t. And it felt like something new had taken its place, something stronger.

Makoto didn’t feel like it was appropriate to change the subject in light of everything, so she kept this feeling to herself and resolved to enjoy her time with Ren. Some curiosity lingered in the back of her mind about what happened to Johanna, but those feelings were quickly banished by a clumsy make out session.

* * *

A pair of Arahabakis appeared on Okumura’s Space Station. Futaba’s scan revealed that they were weak to Nuclear magic, so Makoto gripped the edge of her mask. As she pulled the slab of metal off of her face to summon Johanna, she found herself saying a different name instead.

“ANAT!”

Makoto was not conscious that she had said anything other than “Johanna”. The name “Anat” came just as naturally to her as Johanna’s did that first time in Kaneshiro’s Palace. And sure enough, as she expected, her trusty talking motorcycle appeared behind her. But before she had the chance to mount it, it changed shape. The thing that had once been Johanna unfolded like one of those transforming robots from television, turning into a tall, horned warrior woman with a red face. She was still very obviously made of all the things the motorcycle was, a big wheel sticking out the back like a bee’s stinger, but Anat was clearly something more than Johanna ever was. Makoto didn’t let herself get thrown off by the difference in her Persona’s appearance. Consciously, it was a bit of a surprise, but Makoto’s subconscious seemed to already be aware of the change. Makoto stunned the giant clay figures with a tried and true Mafreila, immediately leading the team in an all-out attack which destroyed their foes on the spot.

Makoto wasn’t entirely sure, but she might have yelled “fist of justice” at the end of the fight. The first time she’d done that the others seemed to take great amusement in it, but they’d gotten used to it since then. As she calmed herself from the fervor of battle and her mask reappeared, she found herself flanked by a grinning Ann and Ryuji.

“Welcome to the club!” Ryuji shouted.

“What club?” Makoto took a step back so she wasn’t sandwiched between her two excitable juniors.

“The upgrade club!” Ann said excitedly.

“The what?”

“Your Persona changed form” Ren said. “Panther and Skull’s have done that too.”

“They have!?” Futaba looked at Yusuke. “What about you, Fox?”

“Goemon has been my other self for as long as I have been aware that I had another self” Yusuke said.

“Ha!” Futaba stuck out her tongue. “Inari’s still stuck with his starter!”

“The same could be said of your and Noir” Yusuke replied.

“That doesn’t count! We’re still noobs!” Futaba put her hands on her hips and stood as tall as she could. “We’ll both upgrade our Personas before you do! Right, Noir?”

“This is all still so new to me” Haru said. “I couldn’t even begin to imagine what a changed form of Milady would be like.”

“Well it’ll be better than whatever Inari’s guy changes into!”

“Oracle, enough” Ren said, taking note of a mopey Morgana decidedly NOT participating in the conversation. “It isn’t a competition. Everyone’s Persona is a manifestation of their inner-self. If your Persona’s changed, it probably just means something’s changed about the way you see yourself.”

“Huh…” Morgana’s ears perked up. “Then do you think that means my Persona will change when I regain my memories!?”

“I don’t know. Probably?” Ren turned away from the group and started walking down the metal hallway. “Come on. We’ve got a heart to steal.”

* * *

“Still,” Ryuji said with a mouth full of Big Bang Burger, “the whole changin’ Persona thing’s kinda weird, ain’t it?”

The team decided to get a quick bite to eat after a hard day’s work in the Palace. They were more than aware there was a certain hypocrisy to eating at an Okumura Foods establishment while trying to change the heart of Okumura himself for immoral business practices, but it’s not like they were actually patronizing the place. Being with Haru Okumura herself meant everybody got a free meal, and the lives of Okumura’s workers would soon dramatically improve once they stole his treasure, so they justified it as a pre-emptive victory lap.

“I suppose it illustrates just how little we truly understand about the Metaverse” Makoto said.

“I don’t even understand it all, and I know more about it than I do myself” Morgana said. “I’m beginning to think nobody out there fully understands it.”

 Ren mumbled something through a mouth full of fries. Nobody was really sure what he said, but it sounded vaguely like “Eeyore”.

“The donkey from those American cartoons?” Ann raised her eyebrow. “What’s he got to do with anything?”

“Forget about who does and doesn’t know stuff” Ryuji said. “Don’t you feel ripped off, Makoto?”

“How do you mean?” Makoto asked.

“Like, before your Persona was a totally rad bike. Now it’s a tall lady, so you can’t ride it anymore.” Ryuji took an overly-long sip of soda. “That’s gotta blow.”

“What are you talking about!?” Futaba glared at Ryuji. “It’s a transformer now! That’s so much cooler than a plain old motorcycle!”

“I mean, I’m not sayin’ it ain’t still cool, but she used to sit on the bike and rev the engine when she used her spells. Now Makoto just stands there. It’s kinda lame.”

“It’s like having a stand!” Futaba turned to Ren. “That’s so much cooler, isn’t it, Ren!?”

“What I want to know is if Anat can turn back into a motorcycle.” Ren pouted a bit. “It’d be a shame if we could never ride it again.”

“YOU’VE GOTTEN TO RIDE IT!?”

“Please, Ryuji-Kun.” Haru took a bite into a huge messy burger, somehow managing to still look proper and ladylike. She swallowed before continuing. “Just because my father’s employees will not kick us out does not mean you should not be considerate of other customers.”

“Well, whatever form my Persona takes doesn’t matter to me too much” Makoto said. “I just wish my outfit changed with it.”

“I know what you mean” Ann moaned through a mouthful of pie. “My outfit’s so tight and revealing. It’s like, even when I’m empowered, I’m still something to be looked at creepily!”

“I don’t know about that” Ren said. “Remember how you told me you wanted to be a supervillain when you were a kid? I think that’s why you’re dressed like that in the Metaverse.”

“Yeah, but that’s when I was a little kid!” Ann crossed her arms. “And I didn’t say I wanted to BE a villain, just wanted to be LIKE them. Like, confident and in control and stuff.”

“Your appearance in the Metaverse is a reflection of your own spirit of rebellion” Morgana said. “You may not want to be a supervillain, Lady Ann, but you have internalized some manner of admiration for them. You see that kind of person as able to flaunt society’s rules and do what they desire, which is why you take on that sort of appearance when fighting to reform society.”

“So what you’re sayin’ is, we look like what we think a cool rebel is?” Ryuji took another prolonged sip of soda. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Like, I didn’t used to think of myself as a punk or whatever, but when everyone started callin’ me one, I dyed my hair to spite ‘em. Like, if I’m gonna get called crap for just bein’ me, then why bother tryin’ to be what they always told me to be? Eff ‘em, y’know?”

“Well, that may be fine for you, but that still doesn’t explain me.” Makoto’s brow furrowed. “My idea of a noble rebel’s clothes isn’t that spike-covered atrocity. I think it would be a nice suit, more like something worn by ya-“ Makoto’s eyes widened as she realized what she was saying. Her lips clamped shut and she looked away from the others.

“Like what, Mako-Chan?” Haru asked.

“Like a yakuza” Futaba said.

“What!?” Makoto’s face turned red. “That’s not- I wasn’t going to say-“ Makoto glared at Ren as if to say “what did you tell her?” Ren shook his head frantically.

“I got bored one night. Hacked your Netflix." Futaba grinned. “Makoto’s queue is full of crime thrillers, and she’s given five stars to a bunch of movies with yakuza as the protagonists.”

“Futaba!” Makoto looked at the redhead in horror. “That’s an invasion of privacy!”

“Meh.” Futaba shrugged. “It’s nothing personal. I do it to all of you.”

“You do!?” Ann almost dropped her pie.

“Yup! You should see Haru’s history! It’s all blood and guts! Really hardcore stuff!”

“Y’know, I wanna be surprised…” Ryuji gave Haru a look that indicated both approval and fear. “But I ain’t.”

“You aren’t?” Haru smiled. “Does that mean we’re bonding as friends already?”

“You know…” Yusuke spoke up for the first time since retrieving his food, the multiple burgers and orders of fries he’d gotten having completely vanished. “I believe I may have solved the mystery of your thieving ensemble, Makoto.”

“Oh, this oughta be rich” Futaba quipped.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence” Yusuke said with a cheery tone. “I can certainly understand how, in a particular light, Makoto may find the concept of the ‘noble yakuza’ appealing. But the very core concept of the yakuza is against everything the Phantom Thieves stand for.”

“Yeah, ‘cause they’re bad guys” Ryuji said.

“No. Because they’re orderly.” Yusuke turned to Makoto. “The yakuza are highly organized. They often go to great pains to appear as a legitimate and necessary part of Japanese civilization. That sort of rigidity and obsession with propriety is not a far cry from the life you lived as an honor student and member of student government.”

“You’re absolutely right, Yusuke!” Makoto jumped up from her seat. “A biker outfit doesn’t carry that kind of association at all! It’s just you and your machine on the open road, going wherever you please, not worrying about how you appear to anybody! It’s the ultimate freedom from society’s constraints!” Makoto looked around, noticing several of the restaurant’s patrons staring at her curiously. Her face reddened again as she sat down. “Or, that’s the theory, at least.”

“I believe it is time for us to leave.” Haru looked at a couple very disturbed-looking employees behind the counter.

* * *

Makoto sat at her desk in her bedroom, reading over the final draft of her history report one last time. As she approached the final paragraph, the messenger program on her laptop opened by itself.

 

> **Futaba:** BOOOORING. ( ￣ ρ ￣ )..zzZZ
> 
> **Makoto:** Futaba! Did you hack my computer!?
> 
> **Futaba:** Maybe.  ┬┴┬┴┤ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ├┬┴┬┴
> 
> **Futaba:** Actually, no, wait, I’ve decided that this is Mona.  ฅ (• ㅅ • ❀ ) ฅ
> 
> **Morgana:** Nyah! Skull’s a nincompoop! I’m gonna marry Lady Ann! MUAHAHA!  ଲ ( ⓛ ω  ⓛ ) ଲ
> 
> **Makoto:** What do you want, Futaba?
> 
> **Morgana:** I’m not Futaba! I’m an honest-to-God human! (/ =ω=)/
> 
> **Makoto:** Futaba, please, I’m busy.
> 
> **Futaba:** Your paper’s fine. It’s well researched, there are no typos, all that good stuff. ( ◕ ‿ ◕ )
> 
> **Futaba:** Here, I’ve got something you might like.  ╰ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ) つ ── ☆ *: ・ﾟ

Makoto’s web browser opened on its own. Instead of her home page, it brought up an anime streaming website. She immediately wondered if the title of the video that was loading was some kind of glitch.

“‘Durarara'?”

**Author's Note:**

> Update: This fic's been changed to use Joker's canon name.


End file.
